A New Science of Religion

Most of the essays in this volume originated at a 2010 conference sponsored by the philosophy department at the University of Otago. The bold title of this conference, “Toward a Unified Science of Religion,” helps to make sense of the somewhat ambiguous title of the book. The “new science” of the title refers to methods that rely on experimental cognitive science and explanatory frameworks that incorporate evolutionary adaptation. After reading the editors' introduction, we are left with the impression that we are finally embarking on a truly scientific approach. Previous efforts in the social and behavioral sciences have been quasi-scientific at best. The book is split into three sections. The first section contains four essays that deal with how religion should be conceptualized and studied from a cognitive and evolutionary psychological perspective. Although these essays cover different ground, all of them argue, in one way or another, that the “new” approach will help to define and bring clarity to the field. Earlier methods have been merely “descriptive” (ethnographic) and have failed to explain religious phenomenon. In contrast, evolutionary explanations bring generalized theoretical coherence, and cognitive science brings methodological rigor, both of which, contributors to these essays argue, have been missing from the study of religion.

CLARITY · Cognition · Cognitive science of religion · Coherence (philosophical gambling strategy) · Epistemology · Field (mathematics) · Perspective (graphical) · Sociology · Computer Science · Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation · Philosophy · Psychology · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology